HB 1128 required school districts to meet the teacher compensation accountability standard by increasing salaries by 65 percent of the actual percentage provided to them in state aid for the next school year. For the 2016-17 school year, districts were required to meet an 85 percent threshold.

Sen. Dan Ahlers, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the bill cleaned up “obsolete language” and would “continue to push teacher pay up.”

Rep. John Lake opposed the additional mandate noting the 85 percent threshold put some districts in a position where they had “bankrupt themselves” to meet the requirement as other factors came into play affecting the amount in state aid they received.

With neither bill adjusting the accountability standard, for the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, districts will be required to have their average teacher compensation at or above the 2016-17 level. There are no accountability requirements this school year.